Trousers with elastic waistband insert



April 20, 1965 M. A. NEINKEN TROUSERS WITH ELASTIC WAISTBAND INSERT Filed May 23, 1962 6 Maurice A. Ne/nken Fig 6 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,178,727 TROUSERS WITH ELASTIC WAISTBAND INSERT Maurice A. Neinken, Elkins Park, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Champion Pants Manufacturing (30., Inc., a corporation of New York Filed May 23, 1962, Ser. No. 197,043 Claims. (Cl. 2-237) The present invention generally relates to a garment of the type having a waistband and more particularly the essential feature of the present invention is the provision of an elastic insert in the waistband thereby enabling the garment to be worn without any auxiliary supporting means such as a belt, suspenders or the like.

I While the invention is disclosed in use on trousers, it is not limited to such use since the invention may also be used on various garments having waistbands such as skirts, shorts, slacks and the like. In recent styling of mens trousers, there has been a trend to eliminate belts and suspenders. This is especially true in certain types of trousers such as those normally Worn with sport shirts and the like. Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an elastic insert which is normally concealed but at the same time provides adequate resiliency in the waistband to enable the waistband to snugly embrace the waist region of the wearer for supporting the trousers in the desired manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an elastic insert for the waistband of trousers together with a stiffening member which together with the elastic insert serves to prevent the top edge of the waistband from rolling outwardly.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a trouser waistband with an elastic insert which extends from the front fly to a position rearwardly of the side seam so that any adjustment will be provided for at the top of the side seam thereby rendering such adjustment feature substantially concealed or at least unnoticeable.

Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide a waistband insert which is simple in construction, easy to incorporate, effective for its particular purposes and generally inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial elevational view illustrating trousers with the waistband having an elastic insert incorporated therein;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view, with portions broken away, of the inside of the trouser waistband;

FIGURES 3 and 3A represent a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon section lines 33 and 3A3A of FIGURE 2 illustrating the orientation of the components of the elastic insert and the waistband;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 illustrating further relationships of the waistband and elastic insert;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 illustrating further relationships of the waistband and insert; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the manner in which the side seam of the trousers is formed to conceal the elastic insert.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 16 generally designates a pair of trousers having a waistband designated generally by the numeral 12. The trou- 3,178,727 Patented Apr. 20, 1965 sers except for the waistband are of conventional construction and include the usual fly 14, side pocket openings 16, hip pocket openings 18 and the like. As illustrated, the fly is provided with a projecting tab 20 on one edge thereof having a buttonhole 22 formed therein for connection with a button on the interior of the opposite portion of the fly for securing the fly in closed position. A suitable zipper type closure or the like may be provided and also the conventional hook and loop type interlocking member may be provided to retain the edges of the fly in overlapping relation all of which represent conventional fiy construction.

The trousers as illustrated include panels 24, 26 and 28 which extend from the center back seam 30 to the fly 14. The fly 14 includes an outer panel 32 and an inner panel 34 having the edges thereof inturned and stitched together by a seam 36 which also is employed to retain the tab- 20 in position. The interior and exterior panels of the fly extend vertically to the top edge of the waistband 12.

The waistband 12 includes an outer member 38 stitched to the fly panels 32 and 34 by stitching 40 which also serves to secure the front panel 32 to the front panel 24 of the trousers. The panel 26 of the trousers is secured to the panel 24 by a vertical line of stitching 42 which terminates at the bottom edge of the waistband 12. The panel 26 is secured to the panel 28 by a side seam 44 which extends completely to the top edge of the garment. The outer panel 38 of the waistband extends from the fly to the side seam 44.

The top edge of the outer member 38 is reversely folded as an inner panel 46 and has a first or upper inner panel 48 stitched thereto and the panel 48 has a lower inner panel 50 stitched thereto along a stitch line 51. Attached to the inner surface of the member 46, panel 48 and panel 50 is a stilfening member 52 secured in position by virtue of stitching 52 and a line of stitching 54 securing the panel 48 to the reversely folded portion 46. Also, a vertical slit 56 is provided through the reinforcing panel 52 and also through the reversely folded portion 46, the panel 48 and the top edge of the panel 50 for passage of an elastic member 58 which extends to the fly edge and is secured in position at one thereof by the stitching 40.

The side seam 44 is provided with a pair of bar tacks or stitches 66) adjacent the Waistband member 38 and is provided with a forwardly extending extension panel 62 which has a slot 64 formed therein for receiving an elastic member 66. The elastic member 66 extends rearwardly and is attached to the inwardly folded panel 80 forming an extension of the panel 28 and a lining panel 82 comparable to the lining panel 48 and forming in effect an extension thereof. Also, the elastic member 58 is attached to the leading edge of the slit 64 as by stitching 72 thus orienting the elastic members 66 and 58 with the inner ends thereof overlapping so that upon either rearward movement of the panel 28 or forward movement of the outer panel 38, the elastic members 58 and 66 will be elongated. As illustrated in FIGURE 3A, the end of the outer panel 38 is provided with an inwardly extending panel 74 attached to the side edge thereof by stitching 75 and the elastic member 66 is terminally secured thereto as by stitching 76 which also secures panel 74 in overlapping relation to the other panels 38, 46, 52, 48 and 50.

The extension 62 also includes an outer panel 78, the inwardly folded panel 80, the lining panel 82 and a lower lining panel 84 and also a reinforcing or stiffening panel 86 all in effect forming extensions of the panels 38, 46, 48, 50 and 52 but which are separate therefrom. Lining panel 82 is secured by stitch line '81 to panel and lining panel 84 is secured to panel 82 by stitch line ends of the panels 30, 82, 8 4 and 86 are concealed by' a cover panel 88 having the bottom edge thereof stitched to the panel 84 which has an inclined edge 90 overlying the panel 50. One edge of the cover panel 88 is 'provided with a'stiffeningmemben92 forming an entrance tunnel 94 for the elastic insert 58 which is in alignment with and generallyin close proximity to the slit 56 as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The coveringpanel 88, serves to conceal the free edges of the panels 80, 82, 84 and 86 thus'providing a neatappearance to the interior of the garment with the only portion'of the elastic insert being observable being that portion between the slit 56 andthe adjacent'edge of the cover panel 88. Also, pocket forming panels'96 are provided in the front and also in z the rear of the garment with the rear pocket panels being.

designated by numeral 98. Also, .the waistband outer member 38' is secured to the-panels 24 and '26 by virtue of ahorizontal row of stitching 100.

The elastic insert together with the stiffening member.

all cooperate to 'providea neat appearance to the waist band region of the garment and also serve to retain'the waistband snugly around the waist region of the wearer. Also, the elastic inserts" and the fact that they are relatively'wide provide a supporting function to thegarment s'o thatthey will actsornewhat as a supporter for the abdomen'of the person wearing the trousers.

The foregoing is considered as'illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents'may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimedas newis as follows:

1. A waistband for trousers comprising an outer memthereby being disposedin substantially concealed posiher extending from the fly to the side seam but being free of the side' seam, a rear panel having a tubular extension underlying and bridging the side seam and extending. forwardly therefrom inwardly of the outer member, a first elastic member attached to the outer member adjacent the fly end thereofand extending intotion, said second elastic member extending rearwardly beyond the connection between the first elastic member and the extension and being connected with the rear panel wherebythe second elastic member and the tubular extension bridge the side seam:

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 together with a stifiening member is disposed ,inthe waistband and attached thereto inwardlyof the elastic members.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 together with a cover panel attached'to the inner surface of the waist band in overlying and concealing relation to the end of the extension where the first elastic member enters thereinto. 7 v 4. The structure as definedin claim 3 wherein the portionof the Waistband adjacent the fly is of tubular construction with the first elastic member disposed therein and extending out through a slot formed in the inner portion of the Waistband, said cover panel being disposed adjacent the slot so that only a very small portion of the first elastic member is visible from the interior of the garment.

5. A waistband for trousers and the like comprising an elongated outer member extending from the fly to the side seam and being free therefrom, a rear panel having an extension underlying a portion of the outer member and bridging the side seam, anelastic insertconnected I Refe'rencesCited by' the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 700,903 5 02 Davis 2-237 2,526,813 10/50 Fanning 2-237 2,684,486 7 7 /54 Purves 2-221 3,098,238 7/63 Diamond 2--237 FOREIGN PATENTS 101,665 7/37 Australia.

ORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. THOMAS J. HICKEY,-Examincr. 

1. A WAISTBAND FOR TROUSERS COMPRISING AN OUTER MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THE FLY TO THE SIDE SEAM BUT BEING FREE OF THE SIDE SEAM, A REAR PANEL HAVING A TUBULAR EXTENSION UNDERLYING AND BRIDGING THE SIDE SEAM AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY THEREFROM INWARDLY OF THE OUTER MEMBER, A FIRST ELASTIC MEMBER ATTACHED TO THE OTHER MEMBER ADJACENT THE FLY END THEREOF AND EXTENDING INTO THE EXTENSION AND BEING ATTACHED THERETO, A SECOND ELASTIC MEMBER ATTACHED TO THE OUTER MEMBER ADJACENT THE EDGE THEREOF IMMEDIATELY FORWARDLY OF THE SIDE SEAM AND EXTENDING INTO THE EXTENSION FORWARDLY OF THE SIDE SEAM THEREBY BEING DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONCEALED POSITION, SAID SECOND ELASTIC MEMBER EXTENDING REARWARDLY BEYOND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FIRST ELASTIC MEMBER AND THE EXTENSION AND BEING CONNECTED WITH THE REAR PANEL WHEREBY THE SECOND ELASTIC MEMBER AND THE TUBULAR EXTENSION BRIDGBE THE SIDE SEAM. 